This study sought to examine the extent, nature, and
consequences of pathological gambling disorders in arrestee
populations. Five research questions were addressed: (1) What is the
prevalence of pathological gambling in arrestee populations? (2) What
is the profile of the pathological gambler arrested for felony and
misdemeanor offenses? (3) How does the nature and level of criminal
activity among pathological gamblers compare to that of non-
pathological gamblers? (4) What proportion of the crime committed by
offenders with pathologic... (more info)

This study sought to examine the extent, nature, and
consequences of pathological gambling disorders in arrestee
populations. Five research questions were addressed: (1) What is the
prevalence of pathological gambling in arrestee populations? (2) What
is the profile of the pathological gambler arrested for felony and
misdemeanor offenses? (3) How does the nature and level of criminal
activity among pathological gamblers compare to that of non-
pathological gamblers? (4) What proportion of the crime committed by
offenders with pathological gambling disorders is linked to their
gambling activities (either to fund gambling or pay off gambling
debts)? and (5) How does substance abuse interact with pathological
gambling to affect the nature and extent of criminal activity? The
data for this research were collected in conjunction with the National
Institute of Justice's Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM)
programs. Arrestees in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Des Moines, Iowa, who had
completed the ADAM interview and provided a urine specimen were asked
if they would be willing to answer an additional set of questions
concerning their gambling behavior. Data from the ADAM interview and
drug screening were merged with data collected using the gambling
addendum, producing the dataset for this study. Variables from the
ADAM instruments were comprised of demographic data on each arrestee,
calendar of admissions to drug treatment-related programs, data on
dependence and abuse, drug market and use data, and urine test
results. The gambling addendum was used to collect data on five
topics: (1) past-year gambling activity, (2) the use of alcohol and
illegal drugs prior to and during gambling, (3) substance abuse and/or
self-reported gambling problems, (4) past-year criminal activity
(property, drug, and violent offending), and (5) motivations for
criminal activity (gambling or non-gambling related).

Guidelines for Applying for Restricted Data

Before you begin an application you will need the following information to complete the form

General Requirements:

appointment at research institution; appointment must be under the jurisdiction of the receiving institution

degree requirements (possibly doctorate)

Must be submitted:

project description

IRB approval

approved security plan

roster of research and IT staff who can access or view the data or computer where data are hosted.

confidentiality pledges for all people on roster

Some require:

CV's

Access to these data is restricted. Users interested in obtaining these data must complete a Restricted Data Use Agreement, specify the reasons for the request, and obtain IRB approval or notice of exemption for their research.

Any public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public.
Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.

(1) Users are strongly encouraged to obtain copies of
the "Methodology Guide for ADAM" and the "Analytic Guide for ADAM"
from the ADAM Web site:
http://www.adam-nij.net/index.asp. (2) This data collection does
not contain data that were collected prior to the first quarter
2000. Users should refer to the final report for discussion of the
data and results from the data collected prior to the first quarter
2000. (3) The user guide, codebook, and data collection instruments
are provided by ICPSR as Portable Document Format (PDF) files. The PDF
file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be
accessed using PDF reader software, such as the Adobe Acrobat
Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat Reader is
provided on the ICPSR Web site.

Methodology

Study Purpose:
The spread of legalized gambling in the United
States over the past decade has sparked considerable concern, debate,
and research. Much of the interest has focused on the increased
incidence of compulsive or pathological gambling in those areas that
offer legalized gambling, and increased social ills, such as
crime. Concern about the spread of legalized gambling has provided
renewed interest in and funding for research on the extent, nature,
and consequences of pathological gambling. However, most of what is
known about pathological gambling is derived from studies of treatment
populations or the general public. With few exceptions, research has
not examined the disorder in populations where it is arguably more
prevalent and severe, namely in the criminal populations. In fact,
very little research has been conducted to determine the prevalence
and consequences of pathological gambling in jail or arrestee
populations. This study sought to examine the extent, nature, and
consequences of pathological gambling disorders in arrestee
populations. Five research questions were addressed: (1) What is the
prevalence of pathological gambling in arrestee populations? (2) What
is the profile of the pathological gambler arrested for felony and
misdemeanor offenses? (3) How does the nature and level of criminal
activity among pathological gamblers compare to that of non-
pathological gamblers? (4) What proportion of the crime committed by
offenders with pathological gambling disorders is linked to their
gambling activities (either to fund gambling or pay off gambling
debts)? and (5) How does substance abuse interact with pathological
gambling to affect the nature and extent of criminal activity?

Study Design:
The data for this research were collected in
conjunction with the National Institute of Justice's Arrestee Drug
Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) programs. At the time of this study's release,
the ADAM program was operational in approximately 35 cities
nationwide, providing national and local profiles of drug use within
arrestee populations and the monitoring of drug use patterns. An
extension and refinement of the previous Drug Use Forecasting (DUF)
program (see DRUG USE FORECASTING IN 24 CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES,
1987-1997 [ICPSR 9477]), the ADAM program (see ARRESTEE DRUG ABUSE
MONITORING (ADAM) PROGRAM IN THE UNITED STATES, 1999 [ICPSR 2994],
2000 [ICPSR 3270], and 2001 [ICPSR 3688]) is the United States
government's primary source of information on drug use among
arrestees, and is one of the primary research tools on drug use,
crime, and other social indicators. Quarterly interviews with
arrestees selected using probability-based (for males) and convenience
sampling (for females) were conducted in jails and detention
facilities at each ADAM site. Urine samples were also collected and
tested for a core panel of drugs that included cocaine,
methamphetamine, marijuana, and opiates. Because the drug screen
could not detect drugs beyond 72 hours after use, only arrestees who
had been incarcerated 48 hours or less were eligible for
participation. The ADAM interview provided demographic and descriptive
data including race, age, marital status, source of income, screens
for substance abuse and dependency, treatment history, arrest and
incarceration experiences, and participation in local drug markets. At
the conclusion of the interview, respondents were asked to provide a
urine specimen. For this study, arrestees in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Des
Moines, Iowa, who had completed the ADAM interview and provided a
urine specimen were asked if they would be willing to answer an
additional set of questions concerning their gambling behavior. The
gambling addendum was administered as part of the ADAM data collection
in Las Vegas and Des Moines for six consecutive quarters beginning in
the fourth quarter of 1999. In the first quarter of 2000, the ADAM
program adopted a new instrument with major revisions, additions, and
deletions of items. The revised ADAM instrument retained specific
demographic and offense- related items, allowing limited use of the
interviews completed prior to its implementation. While data were
collected on the gambling behaviors of male and female arrestees since
the fourth quarter of 1999, only those who were interviewed using the
revised instrument, which starting being administered in the first
quarter 2000, are represented in this data collection, which is
comprised of responses from approximately 1,900 arrestees. At the
core of the 144-item gambling addendum was a modified version of the
National Opinion Research Center (NORC), Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual (DSM) Screen for Gambling Problems, commonly referred to as
NODS. This gambling screen was composed of 17 items that assessed
lifetime problem gambling and a corresponding set of 17 items
assessing past-year gambling problems. The gambling addendum, however,
included only past-year NODS items. The decision to exclude lifetime
items was based on time and budgetary concerns. Data from the ADAM
interviews and drug screening were merged with data collected using
the gambling addendum, producing the dataset for this study.

Sample:
The gambling addendum was administered to all arrestees in
Las Vegas, Nevada, and Des Moines, Iowa, who had completed the ADAM
interview and provided a urine specimen and were willing to answer
additional questions concerning their gambling behavior. Please see
ARRESTEE DRUG ABUSE MONITORING (ADAM) PROGRAM IN THE UNITED STATES,
1999 [ICPSR 2994], 2000 [ICPSR 3270], and 2001 [ICPSR 3688] for the
sampling frame used to collect the ADAM data.

Data Source:

As part of the ADAM data collection, a double-sided
facesheet was used to collect information from administrative records
on all adult arrestees selected for an interview. The ADAM adult
interview instrument was used to record information from voluntary,
anonymous, and confidential interviews with all male and female adult
arrestees in the sample available for an interview within 48 hours of
the time of arrest. Urine tests were used to detect the presence of
several drugs in specimens provided by the interviewee at the
conclusion of the interview. The gambling addendum, administered via
a survey, was given to arrestees in the sample who had completed the
ADAM interview, provided a urine specimen, and were willing to answer
additional questions concerning their gambling behavior.

Response Rates:
During the data collection period (fourth
quarter 1999 through first quarter 2001), initial contact was made
with 3,332 arrestees from the two sites who had completed an ADAM
interview and provided a urine specimens. Approximately 2,300 male and
female arrestees received this gambling addendum. Revisions were made
to the instrument and researchers began to use the new instrument in
the first quarter of 2000, when it was given to approximately 1,900
arrestees.

Presence of Common Scales:
None.

Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of
disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major
statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to
these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection: